Iran Economic News Headlines - March 8

1. President Hassan Rouhani: Iran's economy would have been less affected by sanctions if it was in the hands of the private sector. (Dolat.ir)
2. Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh: Iranian oil industry is developing, despite unprecedented pressures [exerted by US sanctions]. (IRNA)
3. Azerbaijan’s Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade: With Gilan Province's linkup with the national rail network, the volume of cargo traded between Iran and Azerbaijan will increase by 4-5 times per year. (News.mrud.ir)
4. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi: Iran hopes to have its part of the new payments vehicle—devised to allow it to trade with EU firms despite US sanctions—ready within a fortnight. (AFP)
5. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov: Iran’s exports to Russia grew by 40% in 2018. (IRNA)
6. Slovenia's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Aleksandra Pivec: There are numerous opportunities for cooperation [with Iran] in the fields of food and agriculture. (IRNA)
7. Pakistan’s State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan:  Lack of a banking channel between the two countries is causing obstacles to direct transactions between Iran and Pakistan. (IRNA)
8. Deputy Agriculture Minister Abdolmahdi Bakhshandeh: Self-sufficiency in wheat and sugar production has saved us $3 billion in eliminating the need to import the two strategic food items. (IRNA)
9. Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati: Water efficiency in the agriculture sector has increased by an annual average of 6% over the last five years. (ILNA) 
10. Mahmoud Bazari, an official with the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran: Iran’s date exports increased by 53% to reach $258 million in the first 10 months of the current Iranian year [March 21, 2018-Jan. 20]. (IRNA) 
11. Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami: The state of Iran's airports doesn’t live up to the expectations of Iranian people. (ILNA)
12. Iran Mercantile Exchange’s CEO Hamed Soltaninejad: IME accounts for 41% of the total trade in Iran’s capital market. (ILNA)
13. Director General of Kermanshah Customs Administration Khalil Heidari: More than 5.34 million tons of goods worth over $2.64 billion were exported from Iran's western Kermanshah Province during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year [March 21, 2018–Feb. 19] to register a 32% and 46% rise in tonnage and value respectively. (Mehr News Agency)
14. Kaveh Meraji, an official with the Presidential Office for development of rural and deprived areas: The contribution of Iran’s rural residents to GDP hovers around 27%. (IRNA)
15. Mohammad Ali Hassanzadeh, the deputy head of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran: The Economic Cooperation Organization member states and countries located along the International North-South Transport Corridor are high on the list of Iran’s transit priority. (IRIB News)